The Willys-Knight, built by Willys-Overland of Toledo, Ohio, from 1914 to 1932 is remembered for its ultra-quiet Knight sleeve-valve engine. Although it was also used in European luxury cars and the Canadian Russell car, it was the Willys-Knight that really popularized the engine.

As automakers prepared their new models right after the
Second World War, they tried to disguise the fact that what they had
to offer was nothing more than warmed-over 1942 cars. One way was to
inject a little pizzazz into them, hoping to provide a halo effect
for the more prosaic offerings.